Stakeholders & Other Meetings
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Appendix STAKEHOLDERS & OTHER MEETINGS Flushing Meadows Corona Park Strategic Framework Plan Quennell Rothschild & Partners | Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects 73 Meeting Notes-DRP Internal Stakeholders Meeting . approx. 1500-2000 people per day • Access to Shea across Roosevelt Ave on Game days is problematic. Date: Thursday February 1, 2007 . Mets to redesign the rotunda for the new Shea Location: Olmsted Center • LIRR station only active during events (MP-LIRR) Attendees: Peter Jarrett DPR . LIRR station being partially renovated Kimberly Fallon DPR Capital - Queens Team . What number or riders would be the threshold to make it a full-time station? (BE) Carmen Baires-Smith LIRR Michael Bolger DPR Capital - Queens Team • Regarding Willets point: EDC has been told that a station will open full time once demand is in Bill Tai DPR, NRG place. Mike Feller DPR, NRG Andrea Keyes DPR - Passerelle/PAC • QMA would like access to its parking lot from GCP (BE) Ellen Macnow DPR Asima Jansveld NYC EDC Circulation and Access Sarah Ashcroft NYC EDC Jackie Langsam DPR • Some kind of park-wide circulation (like a monorail) could reduce the need for cars in the Park (MB) Joe Oro DPR Enforcement Jeremy Parnes New York City Transit • Working on the Streetscape to encourage movement from NE Flushing Community (AJ-EDC) John Krawchuk DPR - Director of Hist. Pres • Would like to create a new pedestrian crossing over the river at 37th Street and a promenade on Sybil Young DPR - Preservation projects Mgr Ronée Mattingly Parks the east side of the Flushing River (AJ-EDC) Michael Pokorny LIRR • Access to Willow Lake is by appointment only (MF-NRG) Nicholas Quennell Quennell Rothschild & Partners Laurie Hawkinson Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects . would not like to restore unrestricted pedestrian access Henry Grosman Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects • Access between the Flushing Bay Promenade and Shea area is being reconfigured with new Lev Kushner DPR Jennifer Kao DPR stadium (JK) Erik Linsalata DPR • There has been discussion of bringing people to the park by ferry (JL) Hector Garcia LIRR Bruce Eisenberg DPR • Pedestrian access from the Van Wyck on the East side of the Park has always been problematic Estelle Cooper DPR • Parking Agenda: . Parking for Cultural Festivals is in the Shea Parking Lots (EC) . Last year there were 8 days of conflict between Mets game and USTA • The meeting opened with a presentation by the QRP/SMH team. The presentation showed initial analysis of . the year before there were 3 (JL) Flushing Meadows Corona Park (based on data provided by Parks and site visits) and some preliminary results from our survey of park users. The presentation set the tone and scope for the discussion to follow. Presented • There is no master plan for the greenway around the park (JK) below is a summary of the discussion organized thematically. Shea is incorporating pedestrian access from the north at the rotary Transportation . a greenway could be routed around Meadow Lake . 0515 Meeting Minutes 070201 DPRSTAKEHOLDERS.doc • Other than big events very few people use subway . page 2 of 3 . except summer weekends (JP-NYCT) . from NE Flushing Community (AJ-EDC) . Ridership statistics are available for nearby subway Flushing Meadows Corona Park Strategic Framework Plan 74 Quennell Rothschild & Partners | Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects Appendix • Circulation Problems in the Park • Demolition of Allied Building (MB) . Need to drive through boathouse parking lot to get on Van Wyck (JL) • Playgrounds (BE) . People park on the road (JL) . Playground for all Children (long-finished) is a regional draw . Is a one way traffic system feasible (like central park) . the skateboard park is coming (where should it go) . Lack of signage for cars – once cars are in the park they . the Unisphere is a world wide destination for skaters – who do a lot of damage . should act appropriately (EM) • Wet Design did a design for the unisphere Relevant Developments in the Area of FMCP • Willow Lake (MF-NRG) • New Pool and Rink Recreation Center may entail a new entrance to the park from the Northeast (BE) . Bird Blind . Parking has not been extensively planned for these facilitates . Nature Center . parking may be located under the highway and the . Community Service Based Maintenance . Allied Building is being demolished and might also become parking. Can there be access to WL area from E train? . Need a way to cross the Kew Gardens interchange • There will be a public esplanade as part of the Queens Corridor project. (AJ-EDC) . Need to understand how to make the connection between the esplanade and the park. • LIE/GCP/VWE Interchange Project (EM) . Construction to start in 2011 and last 3-4 years – in EIS now Will need to rebuild about 8 pedestrian • Queens Botanical Garden is being partially reconstructed (MB) bridges – affords the opportunity to make sure the new bridges work with desired parks circulation • Flushing has a lot of large-scale housing development going on (MB) . connection between NYS Pavilion area and Ederle area will be redone as well . opportunity to rethink relationship between highways and park • Corona is also experiencing significant growth at the moment (MB) . FMCP has highways at, below, and above grade . But the Corona community is not always happy about big events in the Park • The Boathouse may be renovated (BE) • Willet’s Point (AJ-EDC) . HPD has made it an urban renewal area The Historic Park . planning 5500 units of housing . potential 400,000 sf conference center • Landmarks (JoK) . 1.9 million sf of retail and mixed-use . NYS Pavilion and QMA not landmarks but are eligible for National Register of Historic Places . will be de-mapping streets in the area so a developer can come in with a clean slate . Unisphere is a landmark . will entail a new entrance to park from that corner (BE) . US Green Building Council to do a study on NYS Pavilion to be finished in June • Other Developments General Discussion . Bland Houses to be renovated . Flushing Commons • Everything from Meadow Lake South is really like a neighborhood park – to the North FMCP is much more of a regional Park Design Opportunities • The Kissena Corridor project is an opportunity for an ecological agenda (MB) • Areas under the highways could be more inviting (MB) Flushing Meadows Corona Park Strategic Framework Plan Quennell Rothschild & Partners | Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects 75 Meeting Notes-Community Stakeholders Meeting of park users. The presentation set the tone and scope for the discussion to follow. Presented below is a summary of the discussion that ensued. Date: Thursday February 1, 2007 Comments have been summarized and organized according to the institutions and stakeholders present. Location: Queens Museum of Art Major themes and ideas have been highlighted as a way of teasing out the general concerns at-a-glance. Attendees: Jorge Gydolin MetroKids Community Board 7 – Kim Ohanian & Marilyn Bitterman Tom Finkelperl Queens Museum of Art Denise McClean Queens Zoo • Would like a promenade/esplanade all the way around the park and along east side of Flushing Valerie Smith Queens Museum of Art River Anne Marie Dean Petracca & Sons Carol Conslato Con Edison • Places where people can go birding Mark Gelfand Terrace on the Park • Linkages from the city to natural areas Nancy Prince DPR - Capital Amanda Kraus Row New York • FMCP should have things for people of all ages Tom Lowenhaupt CB3 . batting cages Sari Dickson NY Hospital Queens Caren Mangiacapre USTA . skateboarding – a donor wants to build a skateboard park David Newman NY Mets . kayaking Max Joel Queens Botanical Garden . toddler play areas Kevin Doyel Queens Theatre in the Park . tennis Willy Mosquera Queens Theatre in the Park Sal Rapaglia ENY Soccer . concerts in summer at Ederle plaza Alfonso Vargal Allfut • Conflicts between bikers and pedestrians a circulation problem Dino Dominguez Allfut Mark Scott Queens Borough President’s Office NY Mets – David Newman Tom Campagna Queens Borough President’s Office • The Corona Railyards are a blight – could they be made into an opportunity Henry Bunch MetroKids Marilyn Bitterman CB7 - District Manager • Would be in favor of bridging over the railyards for parking Kim Ohanian CB7 - Parks Chair Community Board 3 – Tom Lowenhaupt Ana Sánchez President TASCA Pat Beckles TASCA / CB3 • The map needs to show the whole Flushing Promenade Richard Italiano CB4 Patricia Dolan FMCP Conservancy • Restore the promenade on the west side of Flushing Bay toward Laguardia David Strauss Queens Museum of Art Daniel Zausner USTA National Tennis Center • damaged swan habitat Nicholas Quennell Quennell Rothschild & Partners Queens Museum of Art – Tom Finkelperl Laurie Hawkinson Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects Henry Grosman Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects • Fifty percent of museumgoers drive to the museum Estelle Cooper DPR . The GCP goes right by the park – there is an exit going west/east – if only there were a GCP Michael Bolger DPR Capital - Queens Team exit going south for the Mets, USTA, and QMA people could come more easily and not get Bill Gilbert DPR - FMCP lost. congestion from USTA and Mets is a big problem Agenda: The meeting opened with a presentation by the QRP/SMH team. The presentation showed initial analysis of Flushing Allfut – Alfonso Vargal & Dino Dominguez Meadows Corona Park (based on data provided by Parks and site visits) and some preliminary results from our survey Flushing Meadows Corona Park Strategic Framework Plan 76 Quennell Rothschild & Partners | Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects Appendix ENY Soccer - Sal Rapaglia • There is funding to shore up the infrastructure of the boathouse buildings $3.5M • Should keep Shea stadium and use it as a soccer venue • QTIP is doing a major renovation right now • Bridging over railyards to build parking is a good idea • $1M earmarked for Unisphere repair • Would like to see area near Fountain of the Planets cleaned up • Signage needs to be addressed Row New York – Amanda Kraus Community Board 4 – Richard Italiano • Access to boathouse is difficult • How do we connect all areas of the park to one another? .